The 10 Best Aftermarket Parts For Your Ford Bronco
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The new Ford Bronco revived a storied name in auto history that lasted for years representing the rugged, American spirit of off-road adventure. The revival is a modern interpretation that retains the rugged character of the original and integrates with modern convenience, efficiency, and reliability. It is technically advanced and comfortable yet capable. It is also endlessly customizable.
The original Bronco debuted in 1965. According to the manufacturer, Ford wanted a vehicle to compete directly with the popular Jeep and International Scout offroad vehicles. Their market research identified what customers disliked about those vehicles and their feedback went directly into the development plan. The Bronco was an immediate success and became a mainstay on American roads until it was discontinued in 1996.
The new Ford Bronco, introduced in 2021, builds upon the legacy of the original. The new Bronco is an all-original design that does not mimic the original but takes cues from it. It is a versatile offroader at home on or off the road. Ford recognizes the enthusiasm of the buyers in this segment and has rolled it out with a complete line of dealer accessories available from the start, and introduced decked-out models before the launch to give a taste of what would come. However, just like the original, plenty of aftermarket companies have stepped up to offer a huge variety of accessories to customize the new Ford Bronco. Here are the ten best.
Winch
For those unfamiliar with the tools of the great outdoors, a winch is a device that employs a spool, a length of cable, usually steel braided, and a hook of some kind to aid in several tasks. The most common use of a winch on a 4X4 is to help it get out of a stuck situation. Should your Bronco get mired in mud or fail to overcome a big rock, letting out the winch cable and hooking it onto something solid, like a stout tree, enables the winch to pull it to freedom.
Winches come with various levels of power and cable types and can be installed in various locations. For the purposes of an offroad Bronco, the front bumper is ideal. Not only can it get itself out of a sticky situation, but you can also help a friend by pulling them to safety. Winches can also be set to task as tools. In an emergency, for example, a winch can help to remove a fallen limb somewhere or to drag a heavy object from a body of water.
The Drive notes that winches can be electric, which is handy as the Bronco comes with auxiliary switches for accessories, or hydraulic, running off a power steering pump. Cost ranges from around $350 to $900 and some of the most popular brands are Warn and Superwinch.
Exhaust
Back in the day, Broncos came with fire-breathing, all-American cast-iron V8 engines kicking out plenty of horsepower and even more unburned hydrocarbons. They had a low growl that opened up to a roar with the right setup and they were great fun, except for the last part with the hydrocarbons. Modern engines are much smaller but way more efficient and modern technology means they burn a much higher percentage of the fuel, resulting in fewer unburned hydrocarbons by a huge margin.
Having cleaner-burning engines does not mean they have to be boring. While the stock Bronco with any engine choice is geared toward a broad consumer base and is meant to sound good without being over the top, it can still be opened up a bit. Ford Authority recently reported on some of the options coming available from the MRT axle-back exhaust for around $599 and the more aggressive Roush cat-back exhaust for just over $1000. Fun can still be had by Bronco owners, it just depends on how much they want to spend.
Roof rack
For a complete outdoor experience, one needs gear. For all the great things the Bronco can do, storage space is not what it is all about. For the coolers, tents, food, and other supplies, a roof rack is an excellent way to haul the goods. The Bronco comes with roof rails, but to take full advantage of the real estate available on top of the vehicle, a roof rack is recommended, if not mandatory.
One of the more popular racks available is by Yakima. The LockNLoad Platform offers a high-strength and versatile rack, capable of hauling up to 330 lbs for $799. It makes it easy to secure cargo on the roof. And, if you are a person who appreciates an accessory for your accessory, Yakima offers a perimeter rail kit to add a fence to keep things from sliding away. The perimeter kit bumps the total cost closer to a grand.
Bike rack
Most folks who buy a Bronco are outdoorsy kinda people. It is natural to assume many of them will be cyclists of some kind, whether it's amateur trail riding or professional BMX. Since the Bronco already has a spare hanging out on the tailgate, it is an easy fit to use that mount to add a bicycle rack. Or, if the roof rack mentioned already is installed, a secure roof mount is possible.
For those who own a Bronco and enjoy a good ride, there are some great options. For as little as $135, Home Depot offers a rack that uses the existing hardware for the spare tire to mount the rack. It holds two bicycles by the upper crossbar. Yakima also makes a rack that securely holds a bicycle upright on a roof rack. This keeps bicycles clear of any danger from damage in traffic or parking lots. This is important as bicycles can cost thousands and a few hundred dollars for a better rack is money well spent.
Roof tent
The different forms of tents in the stores these days are somewhat boggling. Tents can be had for just about any situation from small tents for a single sleeper to multi-room tents for the whole family. This includes vehicle-based tents and, specifically, roof-mounted tents. Having a camping rig ready to go is a handy way to keep the camping experience at the ready.
Thule makes a unique camping experience in a hard shell roof-mounted tent that sets up in about a minute. Plenty of reviews on rooftop tents say the biggest hassle with these tents is that once they are up, it makes leaving a campsite a huge hassle. Thule has eliminated this problem with their Thule Basin. The entire tent pops up on its one and can be brought down with ease. It comes with a mattress already inside and blankets and pillows can be left inside during a short trip to the store or to watch a sunset away from camp. The only drawback is the price, as it is a more than $3000 expenditure.
Wheels
The new Ford Bronco comes with a fine set of wheels and tires, but some of us like to strike our own tone, and changing the wheels is among the most dramatic and easy changes possible. The style and type of wheel have everything to do with the purpose of the vehicle. While some people may want to change the style of the Bronco without altering its driving characteristics, others want more meat on the corners to handle more extreme terrain.
Ford lists the wheels from the factory ranging from 16 to 18 inches and tires from 30 to 35 inches, depending on trim level. These are already good size tires, but some more adventurous offroaders may want to bump up to 36 inches with some massive shiny discs resting inside. Hennessey has chosen to go with 35-inch tires on its Velociraptor 400 custom Bronco while Motor Trend spotted one with 40s on it, although they had many questions for it. Regardless of whether it is for looks alone or greater offroad traction, wheels and tires will be expensive and can add several thousand dollars to the vehicle. Some might even choose tank-like tracks. Choosing them can be tricky, so Car and Driver have gone to the trouble of putting together a buyer's guide to help.
Lights, lights, and more lights
The Bronco is a wonderful canvas for affixing a wide variety of lighting. Ford has been considerate of potential buyers by offering many options and packages that include a lot of the lighting that offroaders might want, but there is always more that can be done. Furthermore, in the modern age, we are blessed with LED lighting technology that allows us to have ever brighter and more efficient lights in an array of colors.
Some of the better-known makers of aftermarket lighting include Hella and PIAA, and their products are often seen on rally cars as well as some OEM options. Today myriad companies are offering such options, so we are certainly spoiled for choice. The right combination of LED lighting can be added all over the Bronco to make it a formidable nighttime trail beast. Listing the various places for which lights can be bought could take an inordinate amount of time, so a few suggestions would be a light bar above the windshield, another one on the front bumper, spotlights at the corners of the windshield, and extra lighting in the rear bumper. Furthermore, companies make accent lighting for the interior, wheel wells, and undercarriage. The only limitation if budget and imagination. Lights can be bought on the cheap from Wish, but it would be recommended to go with better quality, although that can run into the hundreds and thousands faster than you might think.
Front Bumper
Most folks would say the front bumper of the new Bronco is just fine, but some of us aren't most folks. For those that want to really stand out and even get some added usability from their Bronco, bumper choices abound. Most of these aftermarket bumpers include additional lighting mounts, push bars, and optional skid plates. They can protect the front end from damage in extreme terrain and allow the truck to get over jagged rocks without the worry of damage to the radiator or lower engine components. They can also look cool if that is your thing.
A quick search can lead you to sites such as 4 Wheel Parts or JCR Offroad to find several options for bumpers. Motoroso has a nice guide dedicated to bumper alone. Most include a push bar or some kind of front grille protection, while skid plates are available for an additional expense. Bumpers also add extra space for tow hooks, lights, and winches, and offer additional points for pulling it out of the mud. Like most things, bumpers range from mild upgrades to extreme protection. It just depends on how you plan to use your bronco, or what kind of show-off you might be. You know who you are.
Side Steps
Most of the newest and nicest luxury SUVs coming out have automatic retractable running boards to help with entry and exit of these large vehicles. The Bronco is no such luxury SUV, it is a die-hard offroad machine and has no need for such niceties. From the factory, the Bronco is not so tall as to require large running boards or side steps, but they can still add to the overall look. Broncos that are lifted with giant tires will need them, especially for shorter people.
The variety of steps and boards seems to be endless. There is not much in the way of professional reviews, but forums such as bronco6g have user reviews and suggestions that may be quite helpful. A search on Amazon reveals several options ranging from individual steps added below each door opening to a full steel plate or tube-style running boards. Prices range from $59 for a universal step to $400 or so for full-length boards. The options available provide the opportunity to make your Bronco as unique as you wish.
Lift kit
The ultimate custom option for any 4WD vehicle is a full lift kit. It can also be the most expensive. Depending on the amount of lift, installation can be tricky and somewhat costly. A poorly done lift can result in lots of problems and terrible changes to the driving characteristics, so it is important to have this one done properly by a professional.
Motor Trend tested a fairly mild three-inch lift kit on a 2021 Bronco in Moab, Utah, a popular destination for rock crawling. Moab is one of the best places on Earth to torture an offroad vehicle with punishing rocks, trails, and hills all around. They reviewed a kit by Skyjacker, which manufactures everything in the U.S., and found the lifted Bronco to be quite capable of the tough trails offered up by the Moab desert. Also noted is the possibility of installing 37-inch tires with little modifications. Other lift kits exist with up to 5 inches of lift and all of them will cost more than $1000 with installation.